IND vs AFG 3rd ODI: Afghanistan win toss, elect to bat first against India in Chennai

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first against India in the third and final ODI at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday.

With the series already slipping away after defeats in the first two matches, Afghanistan will be looking to salvage some pride and avoid a whitewash. Shahidi backed his side to make the most of a dry batting-friendly surface and stressed the importance of building partnerships after underwhelming performances in the previous games.

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“We’ve decided to bat first today. The conditions are typically hot in India at this time of year, and the wicket looks promising, dry and hard, ideal for batting. Hopefully, we can get off to a strong start,” Shahidi said at the toss.

The Afghanistan skipper also confirmed four changes to the playing XI, with experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai returning to the side.

India captain Shubman Gill admitted he would have preferred to bat first as well but remained confident about his team’s ability to chase under challenging conditions.

“The wicket looks excellent, and we would have chosen to bat first as well. The conditions remain hot, just like in the previous match. For us, the key is to maintain consistency in the areas we’re targeting. Chasing is still something we haven’t fully mastered,” Gill said.

India have been the dominant side throughout the tour, carrying their momentum from the one-off Test into the limited-overs leg. Another victory in Chennai would complete a clean sweep of the ODI series.

Gill has led from the front with the bat in the first two ODIs, while Ishan Kishan has also impressed. On the bowling front, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh have consistently delivered breakthroughs at crucial moments.

The focus now shifts to Chepauk, a venue traditionally known for assisting spinners but one that has recently produced batting-friendly surfaces. With the heat expected to play a role once again, both teams will need to adapt quickly as Afghanistan seek a consolation win and India chase a perfect finish to the series.

IND vs AFG 3rd ODI: Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Darwish Abdul Rasool, Mohammad Nabi, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, AM Ghazanfar, Ziaur Rahman, Fareed Ahmad.

India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Harsh Dubey, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav.